I was wondering if it was worth me doing an information page that could be hidden from view and mentioning all of my competition so that when people googled their shops, my listing came up.
Any thoughts??
Any thoughts??
mentioning your competition on your website
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BOSS
FlowerChat Administrator
But no one would see it mark, it would be for seo only?? I know Adam does it to mention neighbouring towns to get on their results.
Oh, and i follow that rule too... would not give them recognition lol although i never say anything bad about anyone..
Oh, and i follow that rule too... would not give them recognition lol although i never say anything bad about anyone..
Ha ha Ryan that is too crytic for me to understand, i was thinking of just doing a page that listed all the shops, or will google just know i am playing?
LJVF
Well-Known Member
haha are you saying i wouldnt be playing fair Darrell lol.
I only mean listing them all on a hidden info page so that i would come up as a florist when someone searched their shop. I wouldnt be saying i was this shop or listing it on my site.. Plus the competition i am thinking of (chair cover woman) is so underhand i would have to give a @@@@!!
I only mean listing them all on a hidden info page so that i would come up as a florist when someone searched their shop. I wouldnt be saying i was this shop or listing it on my site.. Plus the competition i am thinking of (chair cover woman) is so underhand i would have to give a @@@@!!
Ticks me off when OGs come up when our customer's search for Anthony's Florist in Hallandale Florida!
Have to say that I would prefer my local competition did not employ that particular tactic.
Cities, zip codes, hospitals, funeral homes, etc - these are legitimate if you actually service them... bugs me when my local competition advertises that they deliver in areas that they really do NOT persoanlly service and then send the orders to me!
Since I am the ONLY shop that completely services BOTH counties, it's pretty obvious what they are doing... Oh well!
Im sorry but i really dont see how me trying to get more local orders in my area is an og tactic.. seriously not that i would care if it was. I am an order gatherer in my town. All is not fair in love and war, i am in business and intend to get as many orders as possible. Just like my competition is constantly copying what i do and then undercutting me, is that fair - NO! But i have to suck it up and think of the next thing.
When i check on google adwords to check the common keywords, two of the longest standing florists come up as being searched. They have decided that they dont need a web presence so why should i not take advantage of their foolishness?? I dont see that as being sly, more savvy.
Dont want to come accross as defensive although i probably do, i have a lot of integrity in business
.
When i check on google adwords to check the common keywords, two of the longest standing florists come up as being searched. They have decided that they dont need a web presence so why should i not take advantage of their foolishness?? I dont see that as being sly, more savvy.
Dont want to come accross as defensive although i probably do, i have a lot of integrity in business
.
Not picking on you either... just a bit touchy on that subjet myself!
But jeeze, if they don't have a website I woudl definately say they are fairgame!
But jeeze, if they don't have a website I woudl definately say they are fairgame!
BOSS
FlowerChat Administrator
neighboring towns is a little different than neighboring florists....
Just because no body sees it, does not mean it's not there.
master J
Well-Known Member
Paula, even if it was a hidden info page, it still would show up on google, therefore, the person would land on that hidden page & it wouldn't be hidden anymore
Instead of naming the other flower shops, you could say you deliver to xyz street in their town, that may be good enough to get you to show up, after all, as long as you service that area, IMO you should be able to market that area and claim it online
Instead of naming the other flower shops, you could say you deliver to xyz street in their town, that may be good enough to get you to show up, after all, as long as you service that area, IMO you should be able to market that area and claim it online
LJVF
Well-Known Member
Paula, I'm sure you know me by now, I really don't have an issue with OG's, I've grown to accept them. As long as it's legal it's fair game.
But, you may step on some toes doing it, that's why I brought it up.
Listing your competitors name for the sole purpose of gaining (some call it tricking) their customers, could be looked at as unethical depending whom you speak to.
But, you may step on some toes doing it, that's why I brought it up.
Listing your competitors name for the sole purpose of gaining (some call it tricking) their customers, could be looked at as unethical depending whom you speak to.
anytimeflowers
Linda
Paula,
I'm sorry, you know I adore you, and this is a brilliant plan, but I don't think you should do it either. If people are specifically typing in that florist's name and end up on your page, that could put you in a pickle on copyright laws if their name is registered. I think that might be what Ryan was getting at because if it appears that you are infringing on their name, they may try taking legal action and I don't think the trouble would be worth it. Adam has a good suggestion about listing the cross-streets, that might help with SEO.
I'm sorry, you know I adore you, and this is a brilliant plan, but I don't think you should do it either. If people are specifically typing in that florist's name and end up on your page, that could put you in a pickle on copyright laws if their name is registered. I think that might be what Ryan was getting at because if it appears that you are infringing on their name, they may try taking legal action and I don't think the trouble would be worth it. Adam has a good suggestion about listing the cross-streets, that might help with SEO.
What a thread!
The tactics required to get your site positioned in the first 3 pages of Google search are wild.
I just read where Google is now using reviews to give more favorable site ranking to Local Business Listings.
Don't have any idea how they verify real reviews, but I'd guess it's about a poorly done as corroborating the physical addresses of Local business listings,per se.
I mean The grocery stores rank higher on local florist business listings than actual florists in most areas, and there seems only be a kind of area sweep to sequence the listings order.l
The Web may eventually turn us all into OG before it's done, because it seems pretty obvious this is the only way to get favorable postitioning...using OG SEO tactics.
My take on this, is to do all you can to promote your site.
If the search engines let you get away with it... do it. The search engines all have their guidelines and staying just within those rules is all an SEO expert does.
You pay the SEO expert big bucks to keep you favorably positioned and the SEO experts grind out some strange scenarios.
I know this may sound harsh, but let me tell you a bankruptcy court is harsher.
I read where drop shippers alone took 1/2 billion dollars of sales for flowers from us last year alone.
Couple the drop shippers, the grocers, the OG and the complicit WS and there is a war being waged against the local flower shop businesses.
At some point they'll bankruipt so many local florists things will have to change.
Afterall, they can't get their OG arrangements delivered without us, local florist shops doing it.
Of course, 1800 and ProF probably have the right idea. Just serve up the flowers in a box and send them UPS or Fedex.
They just let us gripe, complain and whine and they keep shipping out their boxes.
Do consumers deserve what they get? Probably yes, but it sure doesn't help the local florist shops that are on their way out.
The tactics required to get your site positioned in the first 3 pages of Google search are wild.
I just read where Google is now using reviews to give more favorable site ranking to Local Business Listings.
Don't have any idea how they verify real reviews, but I'd guess it's about a poorly done as corroborating the physical addresses of Local business listings,per se.
I mean The grocery stores rank higher on local florist business listings than actual florists in most areas, and there seems only be a kind of area sweep to sequence the listings order.l
The Web may eventually turn us all into OG before it's done, because it seems pretty obvious this is the only way to get favorable postitioning...using OG SEO tactics.
My take on this, is to do all you can to promote your site.
If the search engines let you get away with it... do it. The search engines all have their guidelines and staying just within those rules is all an SEO expert does.
You pay the SEO expert big bucks to keep you favorably positioned and the SEO experts grind out some strange scenarios.
I know this may sound harsh, but let me tell you a bankruptcy court is harsher.
I read where drop shippers alone took 1/2 billion dollars of sales for flowers from us last year alone.
Couple the drop shippers, the grocers, the OG and the complicit WS and there is a war being waged against the local flower shop businesses.
At some point they'll bankruipt so many local florists things will have to change.
Afterall, they can't get their OG arrangements delivered without us, local florist shops doing it.
Of course, 1800 and ProF probably have the right idea. Just serve up the flowers in a box and send them UPS or Fedex.
They just let us gripe, complain and whine and they keep shipping out their boxes.
Do consumers deserve what they get? Probably yes, but it sure doesn't help the local florist shops that are on their way out.
I really dont see how it would be tricking anyone, I have my name and address all over my website and there would be no implication that i was another shop AT ALL!! It would more be like saying.. we are a flower shop too that is in the same town and you can look at our designs on line. Please buy from us instead of them.
I can understand how it may be unethical but geez louise... we are in business here. I play fair with everything else and some of them plain DONT. The amount of phonecalls i get asking for prices on everything, checking out my window and then copying. One of them has even copied the same font for their shop name. The chair cover woman eye balls me every time i go to a bridal fayre so forgive me if my ethics dont come in here.
Little story to put you in the picture, we close over christmas and a girl asked me to do her mums funeral on the 29th. I said i couldnt but gave her my comps number (which is something i almost never do) but this was a serious matter for this girl and i wanted to help her. Anyway, she came back on to me after he said to her "i wont be effing doing it, i dont have the flowers.. and who the hell are you talking about, i dont know who the girl at about flowers" (he does and was just being plain rude). Now tell me, does this man deserve me to be ethical when planning on putting his shop name on my website when he doesnt need a web presence. He has every funeral director in his pocket and i have got many customers from him who he has chased out of his shop.
I look after my staff and my customers, my family but some of the competition around here would steal the money from my till literally so i will do it.
Thanks for all your input though, i do appreciate it.
I can understand how it may be unethical but geez louise... we are in business here. I play fair with everything else and some of them plain DONT. The amount of phonecalls i get asking for prices on everything, checking out my window and then copying. One of them has even copied the same font for their shop name. The chair cover woman eye balls me every time i go to a bridal fayre so forgive me if my ethics dont come in here.
Little story to put you in the picture, we close over christmas and a girl asked me to do her mums funeral on the 29th. I said i couldnt but gave her my comps number (which is something i almost never do) but this was a serious matter for this girl and i wanted to help her. Anyway, she came back on to me after he said to her "i wont be effing doing it, i dont have the flowers.. and who the hell are you talking about, i dont know who the girl at about flowers" (he does and was just being plain rude). Now tell me, does this man deserve me to be ethical when planning on putting his shop name on my website when he doesnt need a web presence. He has every funeral director in his pocket and i have got many customers from him who he has chased out of his shop.
I look after my staff and my customers, my family but some of the competition around here would steal the money from my till literally so i will do it.
Thanks for all your input though, i do appreciate it.
lori042499
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- May 3, 2006
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I personally think we are all way too hypersensitive about tricking the public....I really don't like the tactic(there are a whole lot of things I don't like about marketing because a lot of it revolves around lies, fibs and decieving customers), but you are right there is no way for the person running the computer to not know that they didn't reach the correct shop, nice if they happen by your shop and like what they see, sounds just like taunting them in with beautiful flowers on your sidewalk to me...I just found a florist doing this with my name, another OG comes up when you google my florist name, it is on like the 7th page, so I don't really care...it is odd, but unfortunately it is the way business on the web is becoming, I think we must all think of the web as our neighbor hood and apply our tactics to get people to come in and look similarly, we certainly are not thinking that the displays we put outside that are better than the competition as tricking someone into changeing loyalty to shops, just showing that we offer a better product....my thought is you should be doing everything possible to up your standings for website, short of saying outright that you are someone else...all is fair in love and war and lately business seems alot like war, do or die...
BOSS
FlowerChat Administrator
Paula - There is a way to make your idea work, and be ethical and aboveboard,
I am assuming you check your online reviews quite frequently........google reviews, yahoo reviews, etc.
Make the page visible.........and put your neighboring shops on there......with some of the more un-pleasant reviews, and then there you are at the top with your glowing reviews ( You only need two or three posted to get the point across )
This shows the browser that YOU have the clout, YOU are the go-to florist, YOU are the one they should see.
regarding the two or three without a web presence......You can really go to town then showing how easy to order online from YOU and YOU alone.
I am assuming you check your online reviews quite frequently........google reviews, yahoo reviews, etc.
Make the page visible.........and put your neighboring shops on there......with some of the more un-pleasant reviews, and then there you are at the top with your glowing reviews ( You only need two or three posted to get the point across )
This shows the browser that YOU have the clout, YOU are the go-to florist, YOU are the one they should see.
regarding the two or three without a web presence......You can really go to town then showing how easy to order online from YOU and YOU alone.
Knife's Wife
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- Apr 16, 2005
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Rick, are you saying that she should create a page that shows google reviews of her shop along with other shops and their not so good reviews? If that is what you are saying that seems even more unethical!
It is bad enough for a florist when some flake goes off on a florist with a bad review, they may or may not be true at all. I would be livid if I saw a bad review posted on someone site. At least on Google you can choose to respond to it, deal with the customer complaining or flag it as inappropriate.
This thread is enlightening to say the least... Watering your own flowers brings more favor from your other neighbors than pissing on your ones next door.
It is bad enough for a florist when some flake goes off on a florist with a bad review, they may or may not be true at all. I would be livid if I saw a bad review posted on someone site. At least on Google you can choose to respond to it, deal with the customer complaining or flag it as inappropriate.
This thread is enlightening to say the least... Watering your own flowers brings more favor from your other neighbors than pissing on your ones next door.